


Thawing Snow Under the Spring Sun

by VeganChocolateSyrup11



Series: AFTG One-Shots [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Fluff, Jean needs some happiness in his life, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, jeremy is a ray of sunshine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:20:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25985761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeganChocolateSyrup11/pseuds/VeganChocolateSyrup11
Summary: Very short one-shot following Jeremy as he tries his best to help Jean get accustomed to life outside the Raven's Nest.
Relationships: Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau
Series: AFTG One-Shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877665
Kudos: 36





	Thawing Snow Under the Spring Sun

When Jeremy agreed to take Jean into the USC, he knew that it would not be easy for the ex-Raven to assimilate after all he had gone through, yet he still did not expect it to end up as it did.

Jeremy worked with Jean slowly, worried that one step out of line would cause him to retreat back into his shell. He began with compliments on his playing and a soft smile every time they spoke. Jeremy radiated sunshine, and it thawed Jean at an agonizing pace, but it was still progress. 

After a particularly good block, Jeremy let out a cheer, turning to face Jean with the widest grin he could muster. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of Jean’s own grin, small and full of pride. Not the cold prideful glare that was typically associated with Edgar Allen, but a soft grin that relaxed face. Jeremy could not believe that he never realized just how sharp jean’s features were until they had softened. Within a few seconds, he was stiff again, an untouchable statue, and Jeremy wished that he had smiled for just a moment longer.

Slowly but surely, Jean relaxed around his teammates, watching them carefully while still keeping a bubble of personal space around him. The Trojan’s antics became amusing to him rather than annoying at some point or another, Jean did not exactly know when, but he knew for sure the moment that Jeremy’s wild eyes became comforting rather than terrifying. He was not used to having somebody staring at him so long without any malicious intent behind it, and it took quite a while for him to get used to it. It was a nice change of pace.

The Trojan’s were at a practice game one afternoon when Jean managed to block the shot that would have cost them the game. He had missed every shot but that one, which was enough for the team. Once the buzzer sounded, Jeremy crossed the court to congratulate him personally with what was intended as a playful slap on the back. Jean, still hung up on all the mistakes he’d made that game, hunched over in frozen silence at the impact. It took a moment for Jeremy to notice just how Jean’s posture had changed, expectant of something terrible.

“Jean,” He called his name. “Jean are you okay?”

“I’ll do better next time…” was all he managed to say.

Jeremy tried to explain that it was just a practice game and that they won anyway, but Jean was not hearing any of it. Unsure about what to do, Jeremy gave him some space and replayed his words in his head to find out what could have caused such a reaction.

They were not as close as they had been after that. Jean crawled back into his shell and Jeremy was even more careful around their new back liner. 

Jeremy missed Jean’s offhand comments; Jean missed Jeremy’s sunshine smile. They walked circles around each other, afraid to step on glass.

“I don’t know what to do…” Jeremy asked Renee over the phone. She and Kevin were the only two people he could talk to about Jean, so they were the only people he could think of to ask for advice.

Renee sighed at her end of the line, “He’s gone through a lot… why don’t you talk to him? Explain that there’s nothing for him to be afraid of.”

“He’s been avoiding me-”

“Who’s been avoiding you?” The all too familiar accented voice spoke from the doorway.

“I’ll… call you back.” Jeremy hung up on Renee and turned to face Jean.

The taller man raised an eyebrow, waiting for his question to be answered.

“Look, Moreau… we need to talk,” Jean began. Jean had frozen at the sound of those words, causing Jeremy to quickly backtrack. “It’s not anything bad, I promise.”

“What… is it?” Jean struggled.

Jeremy ran fingers through his hair, “You know, there’s no need for you to be afraid of us… of me at least.” Jean did not budge so Jeremy continued. “Nobody’s going to hurt you for missing a block… everybody has bad days.”

“How do you know?” Jean finally asked.

“Because I’m the captain, and I won’t let them do anything to you.”

Jean was silent for a moment. Jeremy believed he might have said the wrong thing for a moment until he heard Jean release a broken snort. 

“How am I supposed to believe that when you allow Alvarez to walk all over you like that.”

Jeremy’s eyes widened at the small sound, almost immediately relaxing into a comfortable grin. “I have my ways.”

“A smile fits you much better, Knox,” Jean motioned to him with a small nod.

“I could say the same thing to you,” Jeremy could see just how much Jean’s cold gray eyes had thawed. “You should smile more often.” _I like you better this way,_ he did not say, but he felt that Jean heard it anyway.

_Me too._

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this three years ago but I had apparently forgotten to post it here, oops.  
> I'm on tumblr as savemorau. ~Cris


End file.
